By Cord Ziggler

When you go out for a drink you always notice certain groups of drinkers who stick loyally to their drink of choice. You have a wine crowd, a whiskey crowd, and a crowd who swear that vodka is the only drink behind the bar worth tasting. Two more groups of drinkers are the cocktail lovers and beer enthusiasts, two groups that are seemingly at loggerheads over their drinks with little chance of them willing to swap even if it meant saving the world from final destruction. Yet there is a range of cocktails that incorporate beer to combine the drinks different qualities. Though beer cocktails may be scoffed at by beer drinkers and cause a rolling of eyes in the cocktail crowd.

Such a combination of converse drinks seems something that is both hard to achieve and even blasphemous. Beer is a very simple drink. Many beers are merely made from four ingredients: barley, hops, water and yeast. Beer’s flavor is a simple one yet strong one, often dark and heavy. Conversely, cocktails are complex concoctions which have layered flavors and normally a lighter refreshing taste.

Such polemic qualities may seem incompatible. But this is the very reason why beer cocktails work brilliantly. It has always been the aim of a mixologist to discover new and exciting combinations that are a surprise to the pallet. In recent years they have achieved this with beer cocktails; and if you do not believe me then try one of these beer cocktails out and see for yourself.

There are already a few classic beer cocktails that are most likely familiar to all. Some of these are the Black and Tan (combining stout/porter and lager/ale), the Snakebite (hard cider and lager), or the eternal Shandy (lager/lemonade). These are the simplest of beer cocktails which only contain two ingredients, never liquor, and still have beer as their predominant flavor. But there are much more interesting beer cocktails, some total new inventions, others adapting cocktail recipes to suit the strong flavors of beer.

For a classier and bubblier twist on the old proven Black and Tan you can try the Black Velvet. Similar to its Black and Tan kin, this drink includes stout (usually Guinness) balanced against a lighter brew. In this case that lighter ingredient is Champagne. This mixture is an original and surprising combination of light and heavy alcohol which goes great together. The Black Tan can be served in a tall Tim Collins glass or, if it is a special occasion, a champagne flute. The ingredients must be mixed thoroughly as they are poured. A warning to any Guinness lovers, try to avoid simply pouring the contents of an opened champagne bottle into your pint of Guinness, no matter how much you love Guinness this technique will simply not work.

If you are a beer lover and a fan of the Bloody Mary why not try a beer twist on this classic cocktail. You may hear it being called a poor man’s Bloody Mary but it goes under the official heading of a Red Beer in bar menus. The ingredients include 11oz of light beer (lager) with tomato juice and topped off with Tabasco sauce, served in a tall glass. If you are not a lager man then you can substitute the beer content for a smaller volume of ale. The Bloody Mary twist gives the beer a more refreshing and spicy edge to your normal beer.

If you are a long term lover of the simple Shandy then why not push the boat out and try a more exotic version of this cocktail. There are many to choose from but Shandy Sour is definitely a winner. The ingredients include 1oz of sugar syrup, 3oz of lemonade, and, of course, 5oz of lager. Served into a tall glass (a Catalina glass is suggested) with crushed ice and garnished with a whole lime diced into 8ths. First add some lime and sugar syrup into the bottom of the glass with crushed ice before adding the lemonade and lager. Voila, the Shandy Sour, a very easy recipe that adds more complex flavor to the staple classic that is the Shandy.

About the Author: Cocktail Zen provides cocktail recipes and vodka drinks to any one with a web connection.

Source: www.isnare.com

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